quote:Originally posted by Joules:
IMO if it's mainly a street car don't put a roll cage in it, the proximity of the bar will most likely result in a head injury in any accident. There has been a lot of discussion on both the Pantera and GT40's forums as to the risk of roll cages in a small restricted cockpit and most would agree it's not recommended.
If you really want something consider a 3 point roll hoop that sits behind the driver against the firewall, most vendors sell them with a removable third diagonal member that bolts into the passenger foot well when required. If left in it is restrictive to a passenger.
Julian
I had Halls roll bar in the car for a few years. This thought of the bar causing more injury than not having one was my main concern.
Consider that it is only mounted to the inner rockers. It could be mounted to the roof structure as well, and better yet on the other side of the bulkhead, in the engine compartment.
What's wrong with having to put it in in two pieces with a bolting flange in the middle? It should be bolted to the roof structure there anyway. That detail could be integral?
In addition, diagonal braces from the inner rear fender tubs would make a lot of sense back there.
There are two places the roll bar should help you on in this car. 1) keep the roof off of your head in a roll over 2) keep the side of the car from collapsing on you in a side impact.
The cabin is too small to build in a cage.
In addition where you need to place the tubes in the portion of the car forward of the car make the strength of those tubes for what they are intended to do, nearly useless for that but possibly incredibly deadly in an impact.
I think stiffening the structure around the driver is the best combination available.
If you think you need more than that, you are racing and you should be racing a full tube chassis car, not a real GT like the Pantera is.
Don't forget to put the gas tank check valve into the tank if you have a US delivered car.
If you don't you WILL spill gas through it if you wind up on your roof.
The '85 cars had a simple modification made to that valve which says "spill proof" but the reality is it is like a PCV valve and only will reduce it. It's better than nothing though.
The proximity of the fuel tank to the cabin in a roll over is not good. With some kind of an impact it could turn into a flaming wreck.
If you can't get out of the car then you are going to get roasted.
A friend was so concerned with getting t-boned in his Pantera that he had a cage built into his car.
The side impact bars were hinged so they could open with the doors.
Nice thought but would they have been deadly in even a relatively small side impact?
